Posted on 05/16/2003 3:19:22 AM PDT by Mr. Morals
Taiwan records biggest daily leap in infections
TAIPEI - Taiwan yesterday announced its biggest one-day jump in new Sars cases, amid a disturbing rise in cases of transmission within hospitals.
The Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taipei yesterday became the third major hospital to report an outbreak in two days, adding pressure to the island's already strained health system.
A spokesman said the hospital was investigating how seven doctors and nurses - all using full protection - developed Sars symptoms. Ninety other workers were quarantined.
Dr Lee Ming-liang, head of the Cabinet's Sars committee, said: 'Infections at hospitals in the past two days are getting serious... more than what we had expected. Now our focus is fighting against hospital infections.'
Health Commissioner Chiou Shu-ti said Taipei is setting up separate fever treatment centres at its hospitals to try to reduce the risk of infections.
Taiwan reported 26 new cases and three more deaths yesterday, taking the death toll on the island to 34, the world's third highest. It now has 264 cases, including 41 who have been discharged.
Those figures did not include Dr Lin Chung-wei, 28, the first doctor on the island feared to have died from Sars yesterday.
He worked at Taipei's Hoping Hospital, which was sealed off on April 24 after a Sars outbreak. The cause of death has yet to be confirmed, officials said.
Nearly 400 medical workers at two other major hospitals were quarantined on Wednesday - after scores of nurses and patients fell ill. These people have yet to be confirmed as probable cases, health officials said.
At Taipei's National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH), doctors said at least 15 people, including patients, doctors and cleaners, were infected in its emergency wards between April 30 and May 5.
Blaming the outbreak on overcrowding, the NTUH - the island's most reputable hospital and its leading Sars treatment centre - has put 250 staff and all inpatients under quarantine and extended closure of its emergency ward until May 26.
'We have been asking for reinforcements for days and have not got them,' said Dr Chen Ming-feng, the hospital's deputy superintendent.
The hospital said it received no help in turning away new patient, while other hospitals refused to accept them.
Most of Taiwan's cases have been in Taipei, in the north of the island, but the disease has also spread south.
The Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in southern Kaohsiung, Taiwan's second largest city, has quarantined 110 staff and 600 inpatients since Wednesday. It took the step after a patient failed to disclose she had visited a Sars-hit hospital in Taipei, meaning she was not properly isolated. <p Yesterday, the hospital announced that it will shut down its emergency and outpatient services for two weeks.
I highly recommend Dr. Niman's list. I was referred to it by a fellow Freeper on another thread.
I saw on another group, on Yahoo!, where the first 20 cases had 1 death but another 20 cases has 1 or 2 RECOVERIES.
This is strange indeed. It will be a relief when this scourge is over.
If Taiwan is having a huge problem like this in their hospitals the mainland ChiComs, whose hospitals are at 1950's type standards, (and I bet that is a generous assesment) must be giant petri dishes.
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